Massacre at Fort Rosalie - November 28, 1729

Natchez, Adams Co., MS

The first white settlement in the Natchez area was a trading
post established by the French, in 1714. In August, 1716, a palasade was
established on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, in what
is now the city of Natchez. The post was called Fort Rosalie, and served
as protection from the Indians.

Years of mistreatment, by the Commandant of Fort Rosalie, De Chepart,
was met with retaliation in November, 1729. The Natchez Indians gained
access to Fort Rosalie by porporting to be friends. However, early on the
morning of the 28th, the Indians surprised the garrison with a brutal attack.
Most inhabitants were slayed, except for one member who managed to excape,
and eventually make his way to New Orleans.

Among those massacred, were four women whose abdomens were ripped
open and whose children, included in the list below, were killed.

The Natchez Indians retained control of the area until 1730 when
Territorial Governor Perrier, from New Orleans, sent a force to the area.
Fighting alongside of the Perrier expedition were the Choctaw Indians,
and after several days of hard fighting, the Natchez surrendered previously
captured French women and children, and withdrew from Fort Rosalie. The
tribe then temporarily settled in what is today Catahoula Parish, LA.

A year later, another expedition against the Natchez Indians was
ordered, by Governor Perrier. That battle took place in Louisiana. That
same year, a replacement fort was built at Natchez.

Fort Rosalie was later occupied by the British, from 1763-1779, the
Spanish from 1779-1798, and the Americans from 1798 until the fort's abandoment
in 1804.

The following is a list of those killed during the November, 1729
Massacre. The list was drawn on the 9th of June, 1730, by F. Filbert Capuchin,
priest and missionary, aboard the Duc de Bourbon.

For information on some surviors, as submitted by researchers, click
HERE

BIBLIOGRAPHY NOTE: Dr. Charles Nolan wrote a recently
published history of St Marys Church. He included in an end note
the name of every single survivor (female) and who they remarried, their
original husbands having been slain.

Napolean himself [sic] took a personal intrest in these survivors
and wrote to the Ursilines that they were to give the finest of care to
these women and (I think!) that the "Crown" would pay a large part of the
expenses.

All of this correspondence is still intact in the Ursilines archives
and all of the marriages are listed in the New Orleans Sacramental records.

For detailed information on these marriages see Earl C. Woods and
Charles E. Nolan, eds.,Sacramental Records of the Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese
of New Orleans, (New Orleans: 1987-1991), 1:passim.
- Bob Shumway

Adams Co., MS wishes to thank Bob Shumway for providing this list.

Known survivors, submitted by researchers:

Pierre Lambremont's wife Marie Francoise Martin and one child
Pierre

"In the bloody massacre of the French by the Natchez Indians
on November 19, 1729, the father and a child whose name is not known were
killed. The surviving French women and children, captives of the
Indians for two to three months, suffered horribly until the French and
their Choctaw allies freed them in January and February of 1730.
They were taken to New Orleans, where the Ursulines cared for many of them.
French accounts of the period do not give the names of most of those rescued,
but it is probable that the Lambremont mother and child were among them.
"

My ancestor named Saint Noel Soileau was at the Natchez and survived
the massacre but, his uncle Gerard Pellerin who was living there with him
did not. Geraard is not listed in the victims list and he should be. Saint
Noel Soileau was also appointed Quarter master of the Royal Warehouse of
the fort after helping to rebuild it. He evaded capture of the indians
by hiding our and living in the woods and in the trees. He was a very resourceful
man.

Desnoyers, second lieutenant, commandant of the town
and director of the White Earth Concession

1

-

-

Detachment from Tunicas for scouting consisting of
seven men only one of whom escaped with his life

6

-

-

Duchesne of the Invalides

1

-

-

Ducodere, commandant at the Yazoos

1

-

-

Ducorroir, cooper

1

-

-

Estiene, blacksmith with Monsieur de Longrais

1

-

-

Estiene Rene

1

-

-

Foulian, his wife and child

1

1

1

Franois Censier

1

-

-

Francois Dubrey, Sacristan

1

-

-

Francois Fertin and 2 of his children and his brother-in-law

2

-

2

Francois Hyacinthe

1

-

-

Gabriel Poulin

1

-

-

(The) Garrison composed of 24 men of whom the soldier
named Belair alone escaped

23

-

-

Gaspard Tilly, his wife, 2 children and his brother

2

1

2

Gilles Jossian

1

-

-

Goupil

1

-

-

Grimault La Plaine, his wife, his child, his niece

1

1

2

Guerin, his wife and two of his children

1

1

2

Isbra, carpenter

1

-

-

Jean Charles Le Maire called Cambrelot

1

-

-

Jean Delon

1

-

-

Jean Despace called Beausejour and his child

1

-

1

Jean Evrard, Bohemian

1

-

-

Jean Flandrin, his wife and two of his children

1

1

2

Jean George Schutz called Jean L'Allemand (i. e.,
"the German")

1

-

-

Jean Jouan, idem

1

-

-

Jean Louis Dupin

1

-

-

Jean Roussin and his child

1

-

1

Joly, cabinet-maker, and his wife

1

1

-

Joseph Ducrot, cooper for the company

1

-

-

Julien Chartier

1

-

-

Kneper, notary

1

-

-

Kolly and his son from New Orleans - Note: Re, Kolly,
his son and his clerk. There is a marginal note made by the Keeper of the
Archives, indicating that he had sent a surviving son a certificate of
his fathers death.

2

-

-

La Douceur

1

-

-

La Ferte

1

-

-

La Fore and his wife

1

1

-

La Lande

1

-

-

La Loire des Ursins, formerly councillor

1

-

-

La Maire, cooper

1

-

-

La Miette and her three children

-

1

3

Langlois, Clerk of Monsieur Kolly

1

-

-

La Pierre called Chatelain

1

-

-

La Renaudais, keeper of the warehouse of the White
Earth

1

-

-

Lartault Tailleur

1

-

-

La Sonde, surgeon-major

1

-

-

Laurent, Hurlot, assistant surgeon

1

-

-

La Vielle, Bohemian Knight

1

-

-

Le Brasseur (i. e., "The Brewer" by trade) and his
wife

1

1

-

Le Clerc and his wife

1

1

-

Le Coeur, idem

1

-

-

Leger, idem

1

-

-

Le Grand Masson, his wife and two of his children.

1

1

2

Le Houx, his child, his niece, formerly keeper of
the warehouse at the Arkansas

1

-

2

Leonard

1

-

-

L'Evesque and his child

1

-

1

Livernais, one of his children and his wife

1

1

1

Louis Henry called little Louis and two of his children

1

-

2

Louis Le Tortiller called La Marche, his wife, his
child

1

1

1

Louis Longueville

1

-

-

Louis Mirault, tailor and his child (called St. Louis)

1

-

1

Madame, commander of the negroes of the White Earth

1

-

-

Masse, his lieutenant, his wife and niece

1

1

1

Massiot

1

-

-

Mesplet who was burnt and tortured with Dominique

2

-

-

(The wife of) Michel Beau

-

1

-

(The wife of) Mirly, and her child..............__
1 1

-

1

1

Modeste

1

-

-

(The) Montauban woman and her two children

-

1

2

Monthuy, his wife and his child

1

1

1

(A child of) Nicolas La Cour

-

-

1

Papin, interpreter, his wife and his 2 children

1

1

2

Pascal, captain of the company's brigantine, who arrived
two days before

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